Apr. 28, 2012

Patrons hold hands in a group prayer at the close of the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, held each year in Murfreesboro. / Jim Davis/DNJ

Written by

Doug Davis

A tradition of faith

Rutherford County has a rich heritage of churches of all denominations. Some of the earliest churches in the county include: • First Presbyterian Church of Murfreesboro was founded on April 10, 1812, near Murfreesboro Spring and moved to what is now known as the Old City Cemetery on Vine Street. The current location is on North Spring Street. • First Presbyterian Church of Smyrna was organized in 1810 as a congregation in Old Jefferson, and became Smyrna Presbyterian Church in 1820. • First Baptist Church on East Main Street in Murfreesboro dates back to June 1843. The first house of worship was in 1848 at the corner of South Spring and Sevier streets.

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More and more Rutherford Coounty churches are using technology, the Internet and especially social media to connect with busy parishioners.

First Cumberland Presbyterian Church keeps in touch with its members via the web with a website, email and through social media.

“We do use Facebook quite a bit,” said Cindy Lamb, director of Christian Education and Christian music at the East Main Street church. “We have some members who are middle-aged and younger, and they are on the Internet a lot.”

The church has two Facebook pages. The page for the youth group (ages middle school through college) is called doc church, which stands for Disciples of Christ.

“It is used for any kind of notices or activities we are going to do,” Lamb said. “You can write on the wall of that particular site.

“For adults and older people that have Facebook accounts, I have been giving them notices about mission trips that are coming up,” Lamb said. ”Or I let them know if I need someone to substitute teach on Sunday.”

She also uses email to send information to the handbell choir. There is also care mail if someone is sick and needs help or prayer.

“It is a general email that has a list of every member of our congregation,” Lamb said. “It can also notify people if the church is going to be closed.”

The church also has a website (murfreesborocpc.org) which is in the process of being updated. People will be able to click on various ministries and find out what’s going on in each area of the church.

“I also text members and remind them we are going to meet Sunday after church to have (music) practice,’ she said.

Adult choir members at the church range in age from the 20s up to around 82 years old.

“Most of them text,” Lamb said. “There is an 80-year-old lady who has a Facebook account. Any time I put up a notice on Facebook, she is first to respond.”